Legal Definitions - Quantum meruit

Quantum meruit is a Latin phrase meaning "as much as he has deserved." In law, it refers to a principle that allows a person to recover the reasonable value of services they have provided to another, even when there was no formal, explicit contract in place. This legal remedy is designed to prevent unjust enrichment, ensuring that one party does not unfairly benefit from another's work without providing fair compensation.

Essentially, when services are rendered under circumstances where payment is clearly expected, but no specific contract exists, the law can imply a promise to pay the reasonable worth of those services. This often applies in situations where a contract was discussed but never finalized, was unenforceable for some reason, or was terminated prematurely, but valuable work was still performed and accepted.

• Example 1: Services Rendered Under a Disputed or Unfinished Agreement

  A small business owner verbally agrees with a web designer to create a new company website for an estimated fee. The designer begins work, spending several weeks developing layouts, writing content, and setting up the site's structure. Before the project is complete, the business owner decides to change direction and cancels the project, refusing to pay anything because no formal written contract was ever signed. The web designer could pursue a quantum meruit claim to recover the reasonable value of the design and development services already performed and delivered, preventing the business owner from benefiting from the designer's work without any compensation.

• Example 2: Implied Agreement for Professional Services

  A homeowner discovers a significant leak in their roof during a storm and calls a roofing company for immediate help. The roofer arrives, assesses the damage, and without discussing a specific price, the homeowner simply says, "Please fix it as quickly as possible!" The roofer performs emergency repairs, stopping the leak and preventing further damage. Afterward, the homeowner disputes the bill, claiming no price was agreed upon. The roofing company can assert a quantum meruit claim to be paid the reasonable market value for the emergency repair services provided, as it was clear that the homeowner requested and benefited from the work, and payment for such professional services was implicitly expected.

• Example 3: Partial Performance of an Unenforceable Contract

  A landlord and a tenant discuss a lease agreement for a commercial space, including a clause that the tenant will perform certain renovations in exchange for reduced rent for the first six months. The tenant begins the renovations, investing time and money into improvements, but before the formal lease is signed, the landlord decides to lease the space to another party. Even though the lease agreement was never finalized and thus unenforceable, the tenant could make a quantum meruit claim to recover the reasonable value of the renovation work performed, as the landlord benefited from these improvements.